Opportunity Information: Apply for 693JJ318NF00011
The Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) grant opportunity is a U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration program created under Section 6020 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015. Its main goal is to help states test and demonstrate user-based revenue options, meaning funding approaches that charge road users in a more direct way than traditional fuel taxes. The bigger policy objective behind these demonstrations is to explore practical alternatives that could support the long-term solvency of the Federal Highway Trust Fund as fuel tax revenues become less reliable over time.
Funding for the STSFA program comes from the Highway Research and Development Program, with the FAST Act setting aside $15 million in FY 2016 and $20 million per year from FY 2017 through FY 2020 for demonstration grants. For this specific solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number 693JJ318NF00011), the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary DOT program using an "Other" funding instrument type, with an award ceiling listed at $20,000,000 and an expectation of about 8 awards. The notice was created on April 13, 2018, and the application deadline for that round was July 15, 2018 at 11:59 PM Eastern.
A key requirement is the cost share structure. STSFA funds are limited to no more than 50 percent of the total proposed project cost, meaning at least half of the project must be paid for with non-Federal funding. The program allows applicants to use other Federal funding sources for parts of deployment if those funds follow their own match rules, but those Federal dollars cannot be counted toward the required STSFA match. In other words, the match that satisfies the STSFA requirement must come from non-Federal sources unless another statute specifically allows otherwise.
Eligibility is limited to states, but the program encourages collaboration by allowing multi-state partnerships for regional or national-scale proposals. Even when multiple states participate, the solicitation requires that a State Department of Transportation serve as the lead agency responsible for administering the funding through the Federal-aid highway program. Day-to-day project management can be handled by another state agency, including an agency from a different participating state, but the state DOT must remain the lead for grant administration.
The program is structured to support demonstrations that are realistic and implementable, not purely conceptual studies. Because alternative user-fee models often require coordination across different parts of state government, the solicitation emphasizes active involvement from all relevant state agencies needed for a full-scale rollout. Examples explicitly mentioned include agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Revenue, reflecting the expectation that applicants will plan for the operational and administrative realities of collecting and managing user-based fees as part of the demonstration.Apply for 693JJ318NF00011
- The Department of Transportation, DOT Federal Highway Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.200.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 13, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 15, 2018 07/15/2018 at 1159 PM EST. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $20,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) Grant FAQs
What is the STSFA grant program?
The Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) program is a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) grant program created under Section 6020 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015.
What is the main purpose of STSFA?
The main purpose is to help states test and demonstrate user-based revenue options. These are funding approaches that charge road users more directly than traditional fuel taxes.
What policy problem is STSFA trying to address?
The broader objective is to explore practical alternatives that could support the long-term solvency of the Federal Highway Trust Fund as fuel tax revenues become less reliable over time.
Where does STSFA funding come from?
STSFA funding comes from the Highway Research and Development Program.
How much funding did the FAST Act set aside for STSFA?
The FAST Act set aside $15 million in FY 2016 and $20 million per year from FY 2017 through FY 2020 for STSFA demonstration grants.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for the solicitation described here?
The solicitation referenced is Funding Opportunity Number 693JJ318NF00011.
What type of federal program is this opportunity categorized as?
This opportunity is categorized as a discretionary USDOT program.
What is the funding instrument type for this solicitation?
The funding instrument type is listed as "Other."
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount listed for this solicitation?
The award ceiling is listed as $20,000,000.
How many awards were expected under this solicitation?
The solicitation indicated an expectation of about 8 awards.
When was the notice created?
The notice was created on April 13, 2018.
What was the application deadline for this round?
The application deadline for this round was July 15, 2018 at 11:59 PM Eastern.
Who is eligible to apply for STSFA?
Eligibility is limited to states.
Are multi-state applications allowed?
Yes. The program encourages collaboration by allowing multi-state partnerships for regional or national-scale proposals.
If multiple states participate, who must serve as the lead agency?
A State Department of Transportation must serve as the lead agency responsible for administering the funding through the Federal-aid highway program.
Can another agency manage the project day to day?
Yes. Day-to-day project management can be handled by another state agency, including an agency from a different participating state, but the State DOT must remain the lead for grant administration.
What is the required cost share for STSFA projects?
STSFA funds are limited to no more than 50 percent of the total proposed project cost. That means at least half of the project must be paid for with non-Federal funding.
Can other federal funding sources be used on an STSFA project?
Yes. The program allows applicants to use other federal funding sources for parts of deployment if those funds follow their own match rules.
Can other federal funds count toward the STSFA match requirement?
No. Those federal dollars cannot be counted toward the required STSFA match. The match that satisfies the STSFA requirement must come from non-Federal sources unless another statute specifically allows otherwise.
Does STSFA support conceptual studies, or does it require implementable demonstrations?
The program is structured to support demonstrations that are realistic and implementable, not purely conceptual studies.
What kinds of revenue models is STSFA focused on demonstrating?
It is focused on user-based revenue options that charge road users more directly than traditional fuel taxes.
Why does the solicitation emphasize involvement from multiple state agencies?
Because alternative user-fee models often require coordination across different parts of state government, the solicitation emphasizes active involvement from all relevant state agencies needed for a full-scale rollout.
Which state agencies are explicitly mentioned as examples of relevant partners?
The solicitation explicitly mentions agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Revenue as examples, reflecting expectations around the operational and administrative realities of collecting and managing user-based fees.
What administrative framework is used to administer STSFA funding?
When multiple states participate (and generally for administration), the solicitation specifies that the lead State DOT administers the funding through the Federal-aid highway program.
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